A general class of material handling apparatus that is commonly available and can be referred to as “compact loaders.” In general, compact loaders have a rear mounted engine for providing a counterbalancing effect and are sized to have an operating capacity of between about 600 lbs. and about 3,800 lbs. and an engine horsepower range of between about 16 hp. and about 110 hp. Prior art compact loaders typically have an operator compartment located forward of the engine, and a boom assembly including a pair of lift arms extending along each side of the vehicle attached to rear towers and an attachment, such as, a bucket, provided at the end of the lift arms.
The general class of “compact loader” is recognized as including vehicles referred to as “skid steer loaders” and “compact track loaders.” Skid steer loaders generally refer to those vehicles having wheels and tires, or having wheels and tires with tracks installed around the wheels and tires, that steer as a result of the tires or tracks skidding. Compact track loaders are similar to skid steer loaders but generally refer to those vehicles having a dedicated tracks system for ground engagement. Types of compact track loaders include multi-terrain loaders, all surface loaders, and all season vehicles. Exemplary compact track loaders are available from Takeuchi, Bobcat Company, and ASV Inc. which is an affiliate of Caterpillar. Another type of compact loader is commonly available and is generally referred to as an all-wheel steer loader. This type of vehicle is available from Bobcat Company. Compact loaders are available from numerous companies including Bobcat Company, JCB, Case, New Holland, Gehl, Caterpillar, John Deere, Takeuchi, ASV, and Daewoo.
Exemplary patents describing compact loaders include U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,262 to Bauer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,449 to Christianson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,163 to Andrews et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D-419,568 to Baig et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D-423,521 to Walter et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. D-231,482 to Bauer.